Arnold Schwarzenegger has been many things: bodybuilder, movie star, governor of California–and now a self-help guru. 

This month, Schwarzenegger released a self-help book titled, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life. Since he’s no ordinary star, publisher Penguin Press knew it couldn’t promote the book in the usual way. 

Developed by New York agency Orchard Creative, the marketing campaign for the book taps into the artificial intelligence (AI) craze–with a twist fitting of Schwarzenegger’s inexhaustible spirit. 

On Sept. 29, Penguin and Orchard set up an “AI” booth at Gold’s Gym in Venice, Calif., which supposedly housed a machine replicating a vocal approximation of Schwarzenegger. Visitors could stop in the booth to seek advice from the AI Arnold. 

Fans asked about issues such as staying motivated, marriage, becoming a bodybuilder, reaching financial independence and first-time parenthood. The voice of Schwarzenegger answered each question with his characteristic mix of gravitas and levity. 

And just as each wisdom-seeker was about to leave the booth, walking away with a newfound sense of empowerment and wisdom, the truth was revealed: inside the booth was not a machine, but the real Schwarzenegger. 

The lesson of this experiment, according to Schwarzenegger: Human connection is still the greatest power of all. 

“That [Schwarzenegger] is choosing to share his process is generous enough. But that he believes in human beings’ limitless potential and genuinely wants to help us all achieve it is a rare, unifying, optimistic force of positive change the world so desperately needs right now,” Barney Robinson, CEO of Orchard, said in a statement. 

Jeff Low directed the film through production company Biscuit Filmworks.

CREDITS:

Agency: Orchard Creative
Chief Strategy Officer: Laura Janness 
Chief Executive Officer: Barney Robinson 
Chief Creative Officer: David Kolbusz
Executive Creative Director: Jimm Lasser
Creative Director: Conor Dooley
Strategy Director: Albert Opraseuth
Head of Production: Jenn Pennington
Senior Copywriter: Patrick Wells
Senior Art Director: Kevin Igunbor
Account Director: Hayley Howell
Director: Jeff Low
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks 
Partner/Managing Director: Shawn Lacy
Executive Producer: Holly Vega
Head of Production: Sean Moody
Producer: Brendan Garrett
Production Supervisor: Mining Yu
DP: Joao Padua
Production Designer: Ron Beach Jr.
Editorial/Post production: Cut+Run
EP/Partner: Lauren Hertzberg
Post Producer: Eytan Gutman
Editor: Ethan Mitchell